Chromatic effect producing spinning toy



Jan. 8, 1957 F. R. HIGLEY 2,776,523

CHROMATIC EFFECT PRODUCING SPINNING TOY Filed Sept. 16. 1953 INVENTOR I United States Patent CHROMATIC EFFECT PRODUCING SPINNING TOY Frank R. Higlcy, Cleveland Heights, Ohio Application September 16, 1953, Serial'No. 380,539

6C1aims. (CI. 46-49) This invention relates 'tochromatic devices of the color mixing class employing the principle of persistence of vision; and more particularly wherein a multicolored three dimensional object, preferably'bearing areas of the three primary colors, is rotatably driven at relatively high speed to provide an apparent color pattern which includes portions of secondary colors, and the object is gradually adjusted at relatively 'low speed, coincidental with its high speeddrive, to vary the colors in the visual pattern apparent to the observer.

The principal or high speed drive maybe of a reversing nature, of anaccelerating and'decelerating nature or it may be unidirectional, either intermittent or substantially constant, as by application of power -'by any convenient means.

Uses of the invention include toys, advertising, ornaments, and other applications wherein such a device is desirable.

A purpose of the invention is to produce such adevice wherein the desired effects, including variations in the visual color pattern, are obtainable through cooperative relationship between the same parts by which the object is supported. 7

Still another purpose of the invention. is to provid that the color pattern vary with some regularity of progression, coincident with the principal drive of the chromatic object, automatically regardless of the character thereof, whether reversing, intermittent, or continuous.

A further object of the invention is to accomplish such purposes by exceedingly simple and inexpensive means.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description taken 'in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein Figs. 1 and 2 are views .at right angles to each other, illustrating one embodiment of the invention;

Figs. 3 and 4 are views corresponding to Figs. 1 and 2 but illustrating another embodiment of the invention; in several of the views certain parts being broken away to show details of construction.

In all of the drawings, the multicolored object is illustrated as of spherical form and will be usually referred to hereinafter simply as a sphere; but it is to be understood that three dimensional objects of other forms, more or less approximating that of a sphere, might be employed instead.

With reference now to the drawings, and first to Fig. 1 thereof, the sphere :1 has its surface isectoria'lty divided into three similar areasrespectively presenting the primary colors, red, yellow and blue, as indicated by the letters r, y, and b, together disposed about a-diametricchromatic axis A. As indicated in Fig. 2, the sphere is preferably hollow, and it may be formed of three parts, each in one of the colors, and adhesively joined to form the sphere, as will be Well appreciated by one familiar with the molded plastic art. At the chromatic poles of its axis A, the sphere is provided with openings 2.

ice

Means are provided mounting the sphere for high speed rotation about another diametric axis B, perpendicular to the chromatic axis A, for drive about the axisB while permitting it to shift at low speed about its axis A.

Specifically, the mounting means here shown is in the form of a generally circular wire bail 3 disposed about the sphere with spacing therefrom, and formed to provide a pair of opposed projections 4, centered on the axis A and entering the openings .2 in the sphere, and a pairor" opposed eyes 5a and 5b centered on the axis B. For assembly, the bail may be initially formed of a piece of wire with one of the eyelets 5a central of the piece and a loop at each end thereof. These loops are brought together about the sphere to cause the members 4 to enter the openings 2, and are then interconnected as by an eyeletgrommet 6, to complete the assembly, the loop 5a providing sufiicient resilience forthe purpose.

The projections 4 are of .reentrant form, each having two parallel legs disposed in its polar opening 2 in the sphere, with slight looseness of bearing therein, to permit ample freedom of movement of the sphere about "its axis A.

It may have been noted, that the axes A and B 'together define an axial plane in which they are both disposed.

All four legs of the two projections 4 are disposed in a diametric plane which is angularly related to such axial plane, and which intersects the axial plane along the axis A, which latter is thus disposed in both planes.

Thus, the sphere is not'only mounted upon the projections4, by hearing of its openings 2 thereon, but also the specific bearing of any of the four legs in its opening 2 is always at a point ofiset from the axial plane and along such plane from the axis A.

In operation, it will be apparent that the sphere may move about its axis A while rotating about its axis B. The device may be mounted for its high speed drive about axis B, manually with intermittent reversals, by employment of a pair of cord loops, each passing through one of the eyelets 5a and 5b, as known in the art.

During such operation the surface of the sphere will appear to have. a color pattern annular about the axis B, and the actual poles of the chromatic axis will be invisible, viewed from whatever angle. Thus, in the indexed position of the sphere, illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, its color pattern will appear to include a yellow circle adjacent the lefthand eye 5a immediately surrounded by an orange band, and adjacent the righthand eye 5b the sphere will appear to be purple, the secondary colors being formed by mixing of their component primary colors.

During such operation, the sphere may naturally assume various positions about its axis A so that the color pattern will have corresponding variation.

However, according to this invention such variation is automatically attained, with controlled progression-of the sphere about its axis A, by cooperation between the projections 4 and their openings 2, by which the sphere is mounted and receives its high speed drive.

For example, consider the bail 3 to be advanced clockwise relative to the sphere viewed from the righthand end, so that the rear projection 4 is moved upwardly, Fig. 1, and its lefthand leg engages its opening 2 to the left of the axis A and above the plane of axes A and B. The sphere, due to its inertia, will then then begiven a slight rotative impulse clockwise, Fig. l, specifically about such lefthand leg although eifective generally about the axis A, and will turn about the point of engagement, to the extent permitted by the lost motion between the projection and the opening. At the opposite projection 4 the same effect will be had to urge the sphere in the Patented Jan. 8, 1957 same direction about the axis A, except that here the action will be at the righthand leg of the lower projection 4, Fig. l, and below the axial plane.

When the torque applied to the sphere about the axis B is reversed, the other pair of legs of the projections 4 will act, but still to advance the sphere in the same direction about the axis A.

Thus, at every reversal of the direction of drive and/ or any reversal of torque, the sphere will receive an impulse applied at opposite sides of the axial plane but in the angularly related diametric plane, and tending to rotate or progress it about the axis A, such progression being always in the same direction.

Similarly, suppose the drive rotation to be continuous and very slow about the driving axis B, and that the axis B be horizontal, then the 180 rotative gravitational eifect upon the bearing will be reversed, and the latter will fall sufiiciently to take up whatever lost motion is permitted at the bearing points between the projections 4 and their openings 2. At each such reversal of gravity, the sphere will receive an impulse of advancement about its chromatic axis A, and still always in the same direction as before.

The amplitude of the impulses in their rotational etfect, and consequently the rate of advancement of the sphere, will be dependent upon the proportioning of the parts at its chromatic poles.

The apparent color pattern thus will progress through its entire range with red, yellow and blue appearing sequentially at each pole of the sphere on the driving axis B.

In all such operations, the bail 3 will be practically invisible to the observer from any angle.

With reference now to Figs. 3 and 4, another form of the device is illustrated, capable of operation generally similar to that previously described.

Here, the sphere is provided with cylindrical spindle projections 20 at the poles of its chromatic axis (instead of the openings 2, of Figs. 1 and 2). Instead of the bail 3, the sphere 10 is enclosed by a transparent spherical sheath or housing, here indicated as formed of two identical molded hemispherical halves 30a and 30b of transparent plastic without color, adhesively secured together in the diametric plane X, in which the chromatic axis A of the sphere is disposed. Recesses 40 are provided in the molded sheath parts, to receive the projections 20, half of each recess 40 of each projection 20 being disposed in one of the sheath halves Stla and 30b.

The recesses 40 are slightly elongated in a diametric plane which is at an angle to the axial plane of the axes A and B, and intersects the axial plane along the chromatic axis A. The sheath means has sufficient clearance about the sphere that lost motion permitted by the elongations of the recesses 40 will not permit the sphere to bear against the sheath means, except at its projections 20.

For operation in a manner generally similar to that of the modification of Figs. 1 and 2, each half of the sheath means is provided with an eye 50, disposed approximately on the axis B in the plane X, to receive a cord for suspension and reversing drive.

Each reversal of such drive, and also each reversal of the effect of gravity on the sphere, will effect an increment of advance to the sphere about its chromatic axis A, and always in the same direction. This will be caused by the flats of the recesses 40 instantly bearing against the projections 20, which will act as cams with bearing eccentric of the axis A, and outside the axial plane of axes A and B.

Essential differences in the mounting, driving, and automatic advancing means to the example of Figs. 1

and 2, as compared with that of Figs. 3 and 4, may be 7 perceived as slight.

In Figs. 1 and 2 it is the sphere which is provided with the bearings openings, and the mounting means with the projections which are disposed in the openings; whereas in Figs. 3 and 4 it is the mounting means which is provided with the openings, and the sphere with the projections bearing therein.

In each example, circular bearing parts at the chromatic poles of the sphere have mounting, driving, and automatic advancing cooperation with bearing parts of the mounting means which are elongated in a diametric plane intersecting the axial plane which includes the axes A and B, the two planes intersecting each other generally along the chromatic axis A. In each, the effective point of bearing is always outside the axial plane, and the mass of the sphere causes its automatic advancement by reaction against the eccentric location of the bearing points.

The operation of the elements of both the device of Figs. 1 and 2 and that of Figs. 3 and 4, and particularly of the automatic advancement of the sphere upon its chromatic axis, will be generally as described, whether the principal axis B be vertical, horizontal or sloping, except that of course where vertical, there will be no gravity responsive action.

Also, both support and drive of either form of the device could be had from one end only of the axis B. Thus, in Figs. 1 and 2, a driving and supporting spindle might be substituted for the eye 5a of the bail 3, and parts of the bail beyond the projections 4 from the spindle could be omitted.

Also, while in the arrangements of Figs. 1 to 4 eccentrically acting impulse devices are disclosed at both chromatic poles for progressing the sphere about the axis A, it would be possible to provide such device at one pole only, with a plain free hearing at the other pole, which arrangement would cause progression but in reduced amount.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a sphere having its surface sectorially divided into three areas, respectively presenting the primary colors together disposed about a diametric chromatic axis, and means mounting said sphere for its drive about another diametric axis perpendicular to said chromatic axis, said sphere and said mounting means respectively including cooperative bearing parts disposed loosely one about the other at a pole of said chromatic axis, said bearing parts including a circular driven part on said sphere concentric with said chromatic axis, and a driving part fast on said mounting means having a pair of portions spaced transversely of said circular part at an acute angle to the plane of said axes, to engage said circular part, alternately at opposite locations thereon and on opposite sides of said plane, responsive to forces about said driving axis, and thereby cause incremental progression of said sphere about said chromatic axis.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein bearing parts as described are provided at both poles of said chromatic axis, and said portions of both driving parts are spaced in the same direction.

3. A device as set forth in claim 2 wherein the driven bearing parts are disposed about their driving parts.

4. A device as set forth in claim 2 wherein the driving bearing parts are disposed about their driven parts.

5. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the driven bearing part is disposed about the driving bearing part.

6. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the driving bearing part is disposed about the driven bearing part.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 580,1Gl Williams Apr. 6, 1897 911,582 Evans Feb. 9, 1909 1,077,340 Graham Nov. 4, 1913 1,783,593 Vollhardt Dec. 2, 1930 2,592,286 Jacobs Apr. 8, 1952 

